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You probably already know that your printer may be
secretly outputting hidden data to allow investigators to
track you by magnifying and decrypting the info. Now, you can find out what info is being shared. The Electronic
Frontier Foundation commissioned a study to decode a series of dots that appear on pages printed by the Xerox DocuColor
laser printer. With the help of a microscope and a trusty blue LED (see, those things are useful for something
other than mods), the EFF researchers were able to reveal a grid of yellow dots that provide information about the date
the printout was made, as well as the printer's serial number. Is your printer tracking you? If you've got a DocuColor
and a microscope (or a powerful magnifying glass), you can decrypt your dots via the EFF's web site. If you've got
another printer, you can send in paper samples for them to add to their research database. In the meantime, don't
assume that anonymous letter blowing the whistle on your employer's nefarious deeds or a politician's leak of a CIA
agent's name can't be traced back to you.

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